Dutch Windmill

That’s a nice park, very close to ocean, if you want to relax a little bit, just walking in the grass, then you can go there. There is not that many people, you can enjoy your time.

The Dutch Windmill in Golden Gate Park is a hidden gem that combines history and natural beauty. As one of the oldest windmills in the world, it stands as a stunning reminder of the past and is a must-see for both locals and visitors. The windmill is surrounded by a beautifully maintained park filled with vibrant flowers, making it an ideal spot for photography, picnics, or a peaceful stroll. The colorful blooms around the area add to its charm, creating a tranquil and picturesque atmosphere. Another major plus is the ample parking available nearby, which makes visiting hassle-free. The park is also dog-friendly, so it’s perfect for bringing along your furry friends. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a nature lover, or just looking for a serene place to relax, the Dutch Windmill in Golden Gate Park is well worth a visit.

This windmill is located just inside Golden Gate Park and there is plenty of street parking available. The history for this windmill is fascinating and I'm happy to see that a handful of folk regularly maintain this little slice of heaven with a garden and work on the windmill itself. The windmill no longer functions in its capacity, but is a testament to the Navy's presence and technology at the time. Be sure to read the plaque for more information. The gardens are beautiful for the flowers that were there. When tulips come into season, they plant them in the center of the green grassy area adding to the beauty of the area. If you want quiet and beauty, this spot will suffice.

Beautiful windmill preserved in good condition. This is a must-see for anyone exploring Golden Gate park for the day. It's crowded on weekends, but that's to be expected in SF. Dog friendly and picnic friendly. This is good spot if you want to chill for a while, or check it out and leave after snapping a few pics. We opted for the latter since it was so crowded. We got some fun photos while we were there. The tulips were in bloom along with a bunch of other beautiful flowers.

Nice little garden, very large windmill. I’ve heard windmills are loosing their popularity these days in the current political climate, but this one looks harmless to people and animals. Probably doesn’t deserve a dedicated visit, but perhaps ok as a side attraction.

Hey it's Golden gate Park. A little weathered but aren't we all? Ps: I'm her personal Uber

Parking is available on surrounding roads. This place is very beautiful and peaceful - I liked it.

Very pretty place - lots of seasonal flowers and a Dutch windmill. You can have a picnic here.

Golden Gate Park has a couple windmills on the west side that are iconic. If one likes these forms of cheap energy it's worth it to get a look. The Golden Gate Park Windmills are actually two separate ones that are quite a ways apart from each other. One came before the other but these both are long time features. The windmills were actually built to pump water. Each of these were built for practical reasons for the city. In the case of these windmills, they weren't used for making electricity out of wind ironically. These were actually used for pumping water. Golden Gate Park was planted on sand dunes. This means it needed a lot of irrigation. A cheaper water of getting water was employed. The Park Commission approved the construction of two windmills. Each would help pump groundwater. The Dutch Windmill was completed in 1903, and the Murphy Windmill was completed in 1908. Electric water pumps would be introduced and the windmills were no longer needed for it. The windmills were in disrepair, but restoration was completed in 2012 and now are open. Features like these are what make this park such an important attraction. It's really not that far between these if you have the time to go walking a bit. These are also in the western side of the park where it's not as crowded with lots of tourists.

A pair of San Francisco Giants! Cool place to stop and visit if you find your Seymour near Ocean Beach. Not a destination in and of itself IMO.

Two historic windmills, known as the San Francisco Giants, at the Golden Gate Park Why are there windmills in Golden Gate Park? It seemed like an odd place to me to find two traditional Dutch-style windmills. It is some 5,000 miles away from Holland... were they just for looks? Well, apparently, these windmills actually worked at one point in time. The North (or Dutch Windmill) was built in 1902 and the South (or Murphy Windmill) was completed in 1907, it was larger than the first. The two windmills were built to pump water into the park's irrigation system powered by the reliable west wind off the Pacific. We first went to the Murphy Windmill thinking it was where the tulips where. Murphy Windmill - located on the end of the woodland path of the western edge of Golden Gate Park. Nearby is the charming Millwright's Cottage which was one time the residence for the caretaker of the windmill. The cottage was built in 1903 and is a historical site in San Francisco. Dutch Windmill - The Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden is next to the Dutch Windmill. This one located on John F Kennedy Dr. We spent more time here because of the tulips. The windmill is beautiful next to the garden. The Dutch Windmill is a historic landmark. Till this day the Dutch and Murphy windmills are still objects of beauty. Review #2930

This was our first stop after eating breakfast at Java beach cafe. It was around 5 minutes away walking so we decided to make the trip, not having to struggling to find any closer parking. The windmills are really a sight to see close up. There is also a ton of natural plant growth and bloom which was great for pictures and beautiful. The Murphy windmill is the closest, accompanied by the Millwright cottage. There is a trail that leads right to the Dutch windmill, which is also where the tulips are. It is a walk so come prepared with some comfortable walking shoes. It was fun to learn about the history of the windmill and taking pictures to show back to my family at home!!

My friends and I visited the Golden Gate Park Windmills on a Friday afternoon in April. The weather was windy but clear skies where you can take beautiful photos of the blooming tulips. Surprisingly it wasn't crowded so finding parking along the curbside was easy. There is also parking along the beach. Since I wasn't familiar with the area, I parked a little further away from the windmill than I should have. There were some other people taking pictures. Pleasant spot to take your family or friends. Will be back again!

Free street parking and basically part of the tulip garden! Very picturesque, romantic, and perfect for a picnic or photoshoot with friends. Also, the windmill and trees turn this area into a little grove that is well shaded all day long!

Looking for a spot to just chill? Looking for a spot to have a picnic? Looking for a spot to be tourist? If you answered yes to any of the three questions, then the Golden Gate Park Windmills is definitely a spot you'll need to check out. This was a spot that my husband wanted to check out and I was surprised that I have never stopped by here on all of my visits to SF. We went on a weekday so it wasn't too busy. It is a small quaint little park. I felt like it was perfect for my two kids, hubby, and I. We didn't spend a whole lot of time here, it was small enough for us to admire, chill, chat, take photos, and go check out a different SF hidden spot. I did see photos recently that their flowers were bloomed for Spring, so I wished I was able to see that but I can't complain. I still think this is a great spot to check out/stop by. Definitely highly recommend!

The only reason why I stopped by was because I saw so many Instagram posts of people posing in front of this windmill. However, this is often the same reason why everybody else visits too, for the photo op! You can park right by the entrance of the windmill, but keep in mind that it is inside golden gate park, so whether or not you get a spot really depends on how many people are at GGP. Weekends and are definitely busier than weekdays, same goes for nice weather. I visited on a sunny Saturday, and this lawn was pretty much overflowing with people. There were so many groups of people having picnics, and most people were not wearing masks. I felt a little paranoid so I couldn't stay long. Keep in mind that people are there taking pictures without masks and having picnics in groups without masks, so be careful! Either visit early in the morning or stop by on a weekday to avoid the weekend crowds.

I grew up in the Bay Area and never heard of these windmills before. So glad someone recommended them to us. It was a perfect 72 degree afternoon in the city and spending some time at the windmills and beach with a packed lunch felt right. Totally worth a stop!

You get your own Netherlands if you live in San Francisco! No kidding. We didn't know this little place existed until we explored the city for the Cotopaxi adventure race and so glad we found this spot. This is beautiful!! Colorful flowers, big windmills, beautiful location and a really well maintained spot. Lots of local people walk by, tourists not as many, may be it's just still hidden or not on the top things to do lists which I am glad because you can enjoy some peaceful time or do some Yoga!! Parking is on the streets, usually available if not there are some spots nearby.

Very cute area and looks like it's great for just relaxing/picnicking. I've seen plenty of photos in the past of people posing with the tulips here but didn't think to visit. I stopped by during my daytrip to SF and managed to find one tulip. It looks like they're currently still planting/fertilizing the flowers. Parking was easy since I went during a weekday but probably a lot busier with weekends.

Great place to picnic if you go early and when there aren't too many people around! My bf and I went here around 11am and there were only a handful of people. We found a really good spot in the back (towards the flowers) that gave us such a great view of the windmill, although I'm sure the view is good wherever you sit since it's huge. By noon, there were a lot of other picnickers , but everyone kept a distance and sat more than 6ft away.

Really beautiful and scenic spot! Across the street from Ocean Beach and a short walk to the welcome center. The flowers are kept up beautifully and the spot is a great photo opt spot.

Unique windmill in San Francisco right near the beach. It's a touch from the Dutch that was made around 100 years ago. They have tulips there in the spring so that is the best time to go. It's worth a quick stop if you're in the area.

How could anyone rate this place anything less than 5 stars? It's literally so gorgeous here for sitting in the grass for a picnic or even just having a quick photo-op.

"The best way to know God is to love many things." - Vincent Van Gogh At the edge of Golden Park where the park meets the great highway you will be greeted by two magnificent windmills, the Dutch & the Murphy. Both windmills stand well over 100-feet tall, including the sails, the Dutch dates to 1903 and the Murphy to 1908 respectfully. Both were built to function and pump water, but sadly by 1913 electric pumps completely took over the growing city. "Poetry surrounds us everywhere, but putting it on paper is, alas, not so easy as looking at it." - Vincent Van Gogh Today it is more aesthetically pleasing to the eye, like something whimsical from the Sound of Music with a swig of Vincent Van Gogh. It's so Northern European & walking around the windmills will make you want to sing... "the hills are alive with the sound of music." Like some mention both windmills were completely restored after many decades of neglect and falling in a state of disrepair. Fortunately the city & community agreed that both windmills were an integral part of San Francisco's unique heritage. I absolutely love visiting the windmills to just relax and absorb the aura of these great giants! I'm In love with both, shh, but I'm drawn more to the Dutch windmill with the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden at the entrance. Fresh flowers & bees ahh. The Dutch community in the San Francisco Bay Area also celebrates their national Kings Day every year in April at the windmills. They celebrate Dutch culture and traditions, including traditional Dutch kids games, flea market, Dutch food, beer, music & dancing. Hey, maybe I'll get lucky! Skål! ;D "Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well." - Vincent Van Gogh

Both windmill areas are very beautiful. Very peaceful, and if there is room, you could enjoy a picnic. Lots of parking on the streets. Not sure, if it's because of Covid-19, when less people are out, but we were lucky with that. At the Wilhelmina side of the garden, a gardener made a beautiful area with flowers and stones that says the word, "HOPE." VERY beautiful. My friend told me about this place & we just had to come visit. Very creative, and the world really needs this right now during this time of COVID-19 2020.

Golden Gate Park Windmills are the designated city landmarks, dated to the very beginning of the 19th century, both are functional today. Two monumental landmarks. You can see both while traveling along the shore on Great Highway to or from the Sutro Heights park and the Cliff House. They are seen across the highway from the Ocean Beach. The Dutch Windmill is separated by John Kennedy Dr from the Beach Chalet Brewery nearby, located on the Great Highway overlooking the ocean. The Dutch Windmill stands towards the northern part of the park, and the Murphy Windmill is to the southern. They were constructed to pump groundwater for the park irrigation, due to its location being on the sand dunes. The Dutch Windmill was completed in 1903, pumping 30K gallons/hr, and the Murphy Windmill in 1908 with 40K gallons/hr. Only several years later in 1913, windmills were replaced by electric water pumps, therefore becoming obsolete. They were restored from the state of disrepair about twenty to thirty years apart, first the Dutch Windmill in the late '70-early '80, then the Murphy one in the early 2000s. Now, there is a beautiful Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden by the Dutch Windmill. Sure, the flower beds are at its best in the spring season, but there are other flowers blooming during the rest of the year.

Someone told me that the two windmills in the Golden Gate Park were nicknamed the San Francisco Giants. Well...I don't know if that is true. But they are quite impressive...each one of them stands over 95 feet tall. A sight to behold. They are both located at two different spots in the Park. The Dutch Windmill is located on the west north corner of the park. It was built in 1903 and pumped 30,000 gallons per hour. The Queen Wilhelmina tulip garden is located here as well. The garden is well kept with beautiful blooms year round. There are benches around the base of the windmill that overlook the garden and open lawn. Beautiful photo ops, great for wedding and engagement shots. The Murphy Windmill is located on the west south corner of the park. It was built in 1908 and pumped 40,000 gallons per hour. The dome is made of copper. There are no flower & garden beds or benches at that windmill. Both windmills were decommissioned in 1913 due to the use of electric pumps. Street parking at both windmills. I recommend at least driving by them if you are in the area. Great SF historic landmarks.

Love this little area! It's the perfect spot for a picnic and it's a close walk to ocean beach as well.

The windmills were once in use as our group walk leader C. said. Now they are just relics and remind you of Europe. But they are fun to notice in Golden Gate Park on a walk towards Ocean Beach. I have heard of some people getting into incidents at the windmills. We were okay today. There's a nice a garden. Golden Gate Park is nice.

I saw my friend, Alana, check into this place. ..I never knew it existed. ..and I've been to San Francisco about ten times? It was a chilly, misty, overcast day in March 2016 at Golden Gate Park. My cousin and her husband drove my Travel Buddy, Yuri, and me around for picture taking and sight-seeing! What a treat! Located towards the Ocean Beach side of the park are actually two windmills - the Murphy Windmill was built in 1908 and the Dutch Windmill was built in 1903. They are authentic and used to irrigate the park until electric pumps replaced them. They are both Designated Landmarks of San Francisco. Come and check them out! There's free parking and no admission fee! Hopefully, when you arrive, the tulips will be in bloom! It's such an awesome experience!

You have to see these up close and personal to appreciate how magnificent they are. If you're in the area, get out of your car and walk up to them and take it all in, a great scenic experience!!

There are two windmills in the park. The Dutch Windmill and The Murphy Windmill. Both are located very close to each other at the end of the park nearest the ocean. The distance between the two is less than a 5 minute drive. Both make for good photo ops but neither are accessible to gain entry. All you can do is stand on the ground and look up at them. There are park benches nearby to be able to sit and reflect.

Pretty cool site to see as I was biking at the Golden Gate Park. We were able to get off our bike and take look around they neatly preserved area where the windmill presides for over hundred years (if my memory serves me correctly) I think it was built in 1902 and was commisioned to get restored. Its a pretty large structure that sits quietly upon neatly trimmed grass and a garden. Its site definitely puts things in perspective as to how far we have come with things that make our everyday lives easier. It you're in the area you should definitely come take a peek, its right before the beach so you can see that as well.

Bottom Line: A neat landmark that is probably at its best when surrounded by colorful tulips. I thought this huge, authentic windmill was neat but unfortunately the day I was there it wasn't working, tulip season was long past gone and I didn't even see a plaque talking about the history of this landmark. This structure to me is very interesting and I'd like to learn more about it. The area that the windmill sits on is small and on a cloudy day it even seemed kind of eerie.

I thought there would be an info center or some sort of plaque with history on it. But there wasn't. So I wish I learned more and it's hard to get a good view of it from the front.

It's just a windmill it goes in circles at least twice. Look up windmill on YouTube saves time

Pretty cool landmark to check out in SF! My fiancé and I figured we are a few minutes from this so let's check it out! It's very cute and nice place to chill. I really loved the fact it's couples minutes from walking distance to get to Oceans Beach.

Really cool windmills. Winter is not the optimal time to visit as there are no flowers in bloom, but the windmills are impressive and worth a quick look. Try again in the spring... 4.5 stars

To fulfill the bf's San Francisco sightseeing trip he's never done, we made a stop at the Golden Gate Park Windmills. We trekked it all the way there before he tells me that they are non-operational!!#@~! Seriously? Yes they were pretty, but the position of the windmills were blocked by trees (we couldn't get a good shot of the front). At the Dutch Windmill the landscaping was gorgeous, but the newly renovated Murphy Windmill just had dirt. This would be a great spot to check out if you were close by, but not a place you'd go out of the way to see.

I love going here during spring/summer to take pictures! There are a lot of flowers, and parking here is usually easier to find than in other parts of Golden Gate Park.

Very historic and nice to see right at the edge of Golden Gate Park near the Great Highway across from Ocean Beach. Just take a quick stroll down and you will be enthralled by the tremendous size of the windmills and the pristine condition of the actual field which it sits on. If you think it looks big staring at it peer from the trees as you walk by it, get ready to see it with its base! A very accessible and prime photo op location as you make your way through the park! :)

It's always a good time to come here especially when the weather's nice but not when it's like raining hi!! LOL! I haven't been here since I was a kid it was nice to get out on Saturday go check out this windmill. and has a big area where you can take photos and people were having a little lunch there.

Beautiful and scenic spot. Right below is the tulip gardens. Ideal place for an intimate wedding. Check out other golden gate park spots when here!

Review for the Dutch Windmill on a Sunday in May: - this is the windmill right next to Beach Chalet - the flower beds are always kept up here (also called Queen Whilemina flower garden) - it's a small place to walk around the windmill (you can't go in it), and view the flowers, so I would bring a lunch, something to drink and sit at the benches or bring a picnic blanket and find a place in the park. If you want to make it a longer walk in the Park: - visit the windmill, walk to the neighboring soccer field to see if there's any games, walk back towards the beach and go up the Cliff House or continue to hike into Sutro Baths/Lands End trail.

Probably one of the most beautiful places I've seen in San Francisco. Such a great gen of a garden. A must see. Free parking too.

I have to admit Golden Gate Park is a real winner. If you come in early parking is a breeze. If you come in later well it's pretty popular, and there's a lot of competition for spaces. This week I visited the park many times and been very happy with some of the places I visited. The full blooms on the plum trees across from the Bison was beautiful. The windmills in the flowers at the queen wilhemina Garden we're beautiful, the science museum I went to twice, maybe even a third time, get yourself a pass if you're going to go many times I did, and just taking a walk around the Lakes or drive through the park are all good for me. So I could Ramble On and On oh maybe I will a little bit, about all the things in the park, but I recommend you get a map and take a look, and see which things you want. Some of the flowers are seasonal, some of the tree blooms are seasonal, I guess I should say all of the tree blooms are seasonal so enjoy your trip.

Aesthetically pleasing and a fun picnic spot with friends. I went on a great sunny day so everything felt straight out of a fairytale.

I think I can resonate with the tales of Don Quixote now. Windmills are just weird. Especially on the approach. Whilst enjoying a morning in Outer Sunset, we happened upon a few trails through Golden Gate Park and then -- BOOM. There were windmills built into our view across the park. Crazy huge, glorious windmills. Are they really anything more than something to look at? Not really, but they are super cool and make for great pictures. Also, I'll note that these windmills in particular are huge. Though, I'm not sure they are still operational. I'll chase these any day.

So many historic structures have been destroyed by earthquakes and progress; it is amazing that this San Francisco landmark still exist just a few hundred yards from the ocean. The Dutch windmill was constructed in 1902 to pump water to irrigate Golden Gate Park. By 1913 electrical motors were introduced and the windmills were become obsolete and it fell into disrepair. A five year restoration was completed in 1981. Unfortunately, nothing much has been done since then to maintain the windmill and it does seem to be showing signs of neglect. It is still is a must see place in Golden Gate Park. You can sit in the garden at it base. Take interesting photos, or just relax on a bench. Maybe someday the interior will be opened to the public. I'll be the first in line it it does. I have read that there are things that I would enjoy seeing: deteriorating paintings on the wall and rusting equipment

I went past the windmills today on my way to the beach chalet for lunch. They are awesome! Though I'm not sure how old they are because I didn't have time to read anything about them, but they really add a nice ambience to the area. I highly recommend checking them out when you're in the ocean beach area!

There are a pair of windmills located in the western section of the park. You won't be able to miss them, you'll see them if you're heading into the park from the west near the Pacific. Take lots of pictures. Get out of your car and walk around a bit. Hear the music from Ico in your head, if you're a gamer like me or better yet, have your husband call to you like Yorda... we can't be the only folks who did that, right? The first is the Dutch windmill (north) standing nearly 75' and surrounded by gorgeous colourful flowers in the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden. The Dutch windmill was completed in 1902 and cost roughly $25,000. There was a caretaker's cottage and he stayed on premises to maintain the windmill and check on the local animals in the park. Because the first windmill was so successful, a second was built. The Murphy Windmill (south) was funded by the vice president of a local bank and carries his namesake. A local lumber yard donated the wood and the dome was made from donated copper. At one time, both windmills were responsible for pumping over one million gallons of water daily. As the decades passed on, they were fitted with motorized pumps and no longer needed the wind to facilitate their sails. Maintenance fell by the wayside and during WWII, the metal inside both windmills were removed and melted down for the war effort. It wasn't until the mid-60s that a campaign was started to save the windmills, both in terrible states of neglect. Over the next few decades, renovations began and in 2012, the refurbished cap was returned to the Murphy Windmill. Go here if you'd like to see a better timeline of the completed and planned renovations: http://www.sfwindmills.org/history/index.html A cool trivia thing that I learned while reading about the windmills is that after a Dutch architect studied Murphy Windmill, he learned some unique things. After a week's residence taking measurements and dealing with the resident pigeons, he noted that the sails were much larger than traditional Dutch sails (150 feet vs 90 feet) and that the sails turned clockwise, rather than the traditional Dutch windmills.

Pretty cool! The windmills look pretty cool in the distance as you see them hovering over the trees. Plenty of street parking here since people usually just stop by and leave. Located on the very West side of the Golden Gate Park - it's hard to miss! There's also a tulip garden right by the windmill (go when the flowers are in bloom!). Visits usually don't take more than 15 minutes, but it's nice to park by here and walk out to the beach/coast and stroll around.

I know these are mentioned in some of the general GGP reviews, but GGP is so big I think each attraction could use its own Yelp page. The western half of Golden Gate Park doesn't have too many sights per se, just a lot of peaceful forests and meadows to wander in. However, if you go all the way out to the beach, the Dutch Windmill is definitely worth seeing. There's a beautiful flower garden, which is at its best in late winter when it's full of tulips. I've even seen a wedding being done here (pretty bold considering the typical weather). There's also a second windmill south of here, the Murphy windmill, which I've never seen and is (supposedly) still under restoration. You'd think windmills in GGP would be purely decorative, but no, these actually harnessed the omnipresent ocean beach wind to pump water through the park. Maybe with the green enery push, it'd be a good idea to turn them back on? Anyway, if you're out at the Beach Chalet, or simply the beach, take a brief detour and check it out sometime. Or just take a bike ride across the park and make this your picnic destination.

There were once two windmills, one on each side of the park. They were used to pump the water that allowed the gardeners to turn a bunch of sand dunes into a great park. Modern water supplies made the windmills ability to pump water unnecessary and they fell into disrepair, especially the one on the southwest (Murphy windmill). The Murphy windmill which was in really bad shape was removed and a large renovation project began. It was gone long enough I thought it As much as you can, when you can and where As much as you can, when you can and where you can., San Francisco, CA 94103 SoMa can., San Francisco, CA 94103 SoMa permanent. But according to the SF Gate five million was raised to bring it back to life. It even pumps water again. The NE windmill called the Dutch Windmill still needs renovation. But it is in ok shape. In season there are lots of flowers (especially tulips) around, as well as access to the beach. I think the best time to visit is in the spring when the tulips are in season. Its great to have both windmills again.

This is another free attraction at Golden State park! Like others before me stressed, there are break ins so make sure hide all your valuables! This is right next to the main road so it is extremely easy for someone to break in so keep that in mind! This is a authentic old dutch wind mill which is a very quiet and nice place to sit down if you really don't like the crowds. When it is in season, you will get these beautiful tulips all neatly planted right in front of the windmill. Besides the windmill, there is not really anything else to do but the point of this place is to not sight see but to take a breather. Don't come this place if you expect to be knocked off your feet, sandals, boots, scuba flippers or anything else you might be wearing/riding at that moment of time

The windmills are easy to find, and they're really serene and calming! There are benches to have a nice intimate conversation and to just enjoy the surrounding nature.

It was crazy going to the First Dutch bros. Weird but very nice. Workers came down on a bungee cord and asked what I wanted. I got a electric berry rebel and it was amazing. I got it iced tho not hand blended like i should have. But sometimes I listen to my friends. Really nice view of huge Dutch windmill and I understand why it's called Dutch Bros.